The most successful freelance writers know what it takes to be the very best:

1. Focus

The ability to complete projects without succumbing to distractions is important. When you’re constantly stepping way from your work space to check on kids, see what’s to eat or watch the news, you’re not getting much done. It will take more effort to finish a piece if you have to break your focus every ten minutes. The most successful freelance writers find times to work undisturbed. This might mean finding times to work when no one is home, or working at a place such as the library where there aren’t as many distractions. Focus enables writers to stay on task, work without as many mistakes, and finish each project sooner than if they had to stop every 30 minutes to handle home matters.

2. Drive

What motivates you to stay on task and continue to find work? Successful freelance writers don’t stop at one project or client and they have more than one gig. They’re driven to land new clients and achieve higher rates of success and pay. If you’re driven you won’t stop at anything to achieve your goals. You won’t settle for only low paying gigs, but will instead use all your experiences as stepping stones to take it to the next level. Drive is what keeps us going. It gets us out of bed and through our day. We don’t procrastinate because we’re driven. We’ll stop at nothing to get what we want.

3. Confidence

Successful freelance writers are confident. They don’t hope and they don’t wish … they know they can get the job done. Their confidence shows through in every query letter, every job application and every writing project. Their confidence doesn’t keep them from applying for or accepting jobs, nor does it keep them from raising their rates and landing lucrative projects.

4. Communication

Successful freelancers know the importance of keeping the channels of communication open with their clients. They ask lots of questions and encourage questions from those they work for. They regularly inform their clients of a project’s progress and don’t let questions go unanswered for days. They know the onus is on them and if they don’t hear back from a client in a reasonable amount of time, they will make contact again. In short, successful freelancers don’t leave anything up to chance.

5.Perseverance

Perseverance goes hand in hand with the second item on our list, drive. Successful freelancers are where they are today because they don’t give up. Even when the going gets tough they continue. They don’t let rejection or famine stop them from their goals. They’re not spooked by the competition. They’re successful freelancers because they’re not quitters.

6. Goals

For successful freelancers it’s not enough to write and earn a living. They have goals. There’s a clear picture in their minds about what they want to achieve and how they will get there. They know what they want to earn, the types of writing they want to do, and what they hope to achieve with their writing. Each day is a carefully planned step in achieving their goals.

7. Collaboration

Successful freelancers work well with others. They don’t see other freelancers as competitors but more as collaborators. They find others to work with on book, blog, and ebook projects and outsource work when there’s overflow. Successful freelancers know they can’t fly solo all the time.

8. Follow Up

Successful freelancers follow up. They follow up on queries and letters of interest, and they contact their clients after a project is completed to ensure satisfaction. Successful freelancers ask clients if there’s anything else that’s needed and to be kept on file for future projects. Successful writers know how to give value with their experience.

9. Accept Feedback

Successful freelancers ask for and appreciate feedback. They enjoy hearing when a job is done to a client’s satisfaction, but also, they want to know when clients aren’t satisfied. Both positive and negative feedback are given the same consideration and all are opportunities for improvement.

10. Promotion

Successful freelance writers don’t wait for business to come to them. They promote and market their work and their business. They network online and offline in hopes of building brand awareness and a client base. They share online and attend networking events. They know promotion is key to success.

If you’re a newbie to freelance writing, you’re no doubt looking forward to getting down to the writing. I’m here to tell you most of running a successful freelance writing business has nothing to do with writing. We all spend a huge bulk of our day handling a bunch of time sucking tasks which doesn’t always make freelance writing seem like that attractive a career choice. Still, they’re necessary for success.

Here are my Top 10 Freelance Writing Time Suck Tasks.

1. Email

I’m sure I’m not the only blogger who receives hundreds of pieces of email each day. I enjoy answering questions from readers and nothing makes me happier than to find gig or advertising inquiries in my mailbox each day, but answering each and every piece of mail in a timely manner is next to impossible. It would take several hours at a time to respond to all the questions and comments coming in each day. Freelance writers who don’t blog also have to deal with email from clients, potential clients and others in their community. On Twitter, I asked freelance writers how much time they spend on email each day and most spend an average of an hour. Much of this is due to freelancers not wanting to deal with clients via phone or Skype. However, they would probably save more time with quick phone calls to clients rather than a bunch of back and forth emails.

2. Bookkeeping

Ah, yes. The money. Keeping track of what goes in and what goes out isn’t a favorite task of freelancers but it’s certainly one of the most necessary. Whether we’re invoicing, receiving funds or balancing the books, we’d much rather view the bottom line than take all the steps to get there.

3. Phone Calls

Many freelancers don’t like client phone calls because they’re such a time suck. Sometimes, it seems as if our phones are ringing all day. Phone calls can actually create more time for us as we can ask and receive answers to so many questions at once rather than via several back and forth emails. My clients tell me they trust freelancers more when they can speak to them on the phone. They like hearing voices, they can tell from tone whether or not a freelancer is down with a project, and they can also tell if the freelancer is a true professional or someone just going through the motions. Save time by setting aside a certain hour of each day specifically to respond to client phone calls.. Both you and your clients will find it to be more expeditious than email.

4. Social Media/Social Networking

Social media can be a huge time suck mostly because it’s so much fun chatting with others online. Many freelance writers set aside a certain amount of time each day for social media but end up going over despite good intentions. Freelancers debate the necessity of social media. Those who use it often swear by its merits, the only down side is that it can be time consuming. Social media isn’t only tweeting links. It can involve forum conversations, commenting on blogs, friending on Facebook, reaching out via LinkedIn and so much more. Most freelancers don’t spend everyday on all the social networks, but many spend time on at least a couple of these sites each day.

5. Job Search

Whether you search the job boards, cold call clients or use other methods to find freelance writing jobs, chances are you spend more than a few minutes a day at it. Search for jobs involves several different steps including isolating desirable clients, sending queries and cover letters and making appointments to speak. Many freelancers take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours each day to look for work.

6. Organization of Online and Offline Files

Filing. The bane of our existence. Clips, contracts, letters, invoices and more require some sort of organization. Our online files also require everything in its place. Not being able to locate key details or files can cause us to waste even more time. Spending time each week to get all our affairs in order is a time suck, for sure. If you procrastinate about those things like I do and they pile up, it even takes more time. It’s a necessity though. It takes less time to organize both online and offline files than it does to hunt around for stuff later.

7. Customer Service

When clients aren’t happy or they need some extra guidance, we have to get on Skype or the phone and make the situation right. Customer service is an important part of freelance writing. If our clients aren’t happy, they won’t bring us their business or refer other business our way. Taking time to receive and respond to feedback bodes favorably but takes us away from our writing.

8. Taxes

Quarterly taxes are a quarterly time suck. Estimating and paying take time. Freelancers who can afford to do so hire accountants in order to save time and headaches. However, not every freelance writer can afford this. Quarterly tax filing can take anywhere from one to three hours to complete. Though it only happens once every few months, we feel it’s a big enough time suck to warrant a place on this list.

9. Scheduling and Planning

Managing client projects takes time. Many times there’s planning, scheduling the editorial calendar, arranging interviews, research and more. Whether you use a whiteboard, your outlook calendar, or a Filofax, it takes time to plan, schedule and juggle. Freelancers with more than one client generally take a day at the beginning of the week or month to schedule in all projects and tasks. Time suck.

10. Marketing & Promotion

How will clients know about you if you don’t market your business? Today’s freelancers have so many options. However, attending networking events, speaking at conferences, writing guest blog posts, and cold calling all take time. Many freelancers allot a portion of each day to marketing tasks because without them there would be no clients. The marketing thing isn’t only a sit down and talk online thing, either. Many marketing and promotion events require freelancers to leave the home to meet with others. Marketing and promotional event can steal an entire day (or more) from freelancers.

Now that you have my top 10 freelance writing time sucks, what are yours? What are some of the tasks taking up the most time, and what do you do to save time?

As I was writing 40 Lessons Learned Over Ten Years of Blogging yesterday, I was inspired to also note my lessons learned as a freelance writer. 2010 marks my tenth anniversary as freelancer and while I may not have taken a traditional approach to my career, I still believe there are some important lessons to share.

Don’t jump into it blind: When I’m asked to give tips for new writers, my first tip is always to research before beginning. It’s not enough for a writer to wake up one day and say, “I know. I think I’ll write. Yeah…that’s it.” There’s a lot to know about freelance writing. The different types of jobs, the different types of formats, how to pitch or sell yourself, what the jobs pay, scams to avoid and so much more. My recommendation is always to take at least a month to read everything you can – blogs, magazine articles, and books – and make the decision after that whether or not to to be a freelance writer.

Every freelance writer is different: You might want to blog because that’s what your neighbor does for a living, but that doesn’t mean you’ll make a good blogger. Journalism looks like a fun career, but not every writer is cut out for this. I can’t write fiction, so I wouldn’t make a very good novelist. It takes a while to find your comfort zone and choose a niche…and when it happens you might pleasantly surprise yourself.

There’s lots of competition out there: In 2010 there are more freelance writers than ever. There are several reasons for this, layoffs due to the recession and writers looking to make money via the Internet are probably the biggest. This means when I apply for a gig, I have to make sure I’m putting my best effort forth to make a good impression. I have to stand out as the best of hundreds of people applying for the same opportunity.

…but that’s not necessarily a bad thing: I don’t consider competition or competitors a bad thing at all. First, the online freelance writing community is filled with writers I’m happy to call “friend.” We share ideas, we collaborate and discuss gigs and that’s never a bad thing. Also, knowing there are so many people applying for the same gigs motivates me to work harder and make sure every effort is my best.

Experience doesn’t necessarily have to mean a background in writing: A writing degree is a piece of paper. I’m sure it’s useful, but it’s not the Holy Grail. Other experience is also important, for example, a former public relations professional can earn a lucrative living writing press releases and those with a background in human resources can succeed as career writers or helping with cover letters and resumes. If you can write well and have talent in certain areas, you have almost all the tools you need to become a successful freelance writer.

Clips don’t always have to be published: Unless a client asks for published clips, samples don’t have to be published. Writers can create samples in their areas of expertise and use them to land the first few gigs. As they begin to gain more experience, they can switch to published clips.

Set your rate before looking for work: Many freelance writers have no idea how much to charge potential clients. It’s important to take time to evaluate skills and research rates BEFORE starting a freelance writing career. Not to do so gives you less control over your earnings.

For a writer to earn a lucrative income, he has to be the one to set his rates: Yes, there are clients who set the rates, and there’s nothing wrong with writers working for those types of clients. However, writers who always let clients take control of how much to pay won’t earn to their full potential.

The more you negotiate the lower your price will go: So you set your rate, great. Now what happens when your client won’t pay that amount and wants to negotiate? Your options are to go lower or go on your merry way. No one likes to lose a client, but by giving him the upper hand you’re constantly setting yourself up for lower pay than you deserve.

There are a lot of writing blogs out there…all offering different advice: There are a lot of mixed messages out there. Write for content sites. Don’t write for content sites. Guest post on blogs. Don’t write for free. Here’s the thing…everyone has good points but that doesn’t mean any one freelance writing blog is wrong. Visit the blogs that best fit your mission. Learn from all the bloggers. Everyone has something to share. Take what you need from all of them and do what’s best for you…and only you.

There’s no “right” way to be a freelance writer: When I first began writing for the web, there was a great divide – print vs. web. Print was supposedly more prestigious and only the “good” writers wrote for magazines or newspapers. There are still some writers with that attitude,but the truth is, there are so many different types of writing, there’s really no one “right” way to do it anymore. Whether you write for print, web or a private client, you’re earning money as a freelance writer and that’s never a bad thing.

Freelance writing requires an open mind: Rather than turn my nose up at an opportunity I might find beneath me, I consider its worth. For instance, a lower paying opportunity with a content site might be a good way to fill in the gaps between projects and assignments. Keeping an open mind helps eliminate the “famine” stage of freelancing.

There’s nothing wrong with accepting a variety of opportunities: I call it the freelance writing cocktail. I blog for myself and a couple of clients, I write a newsletter for local organization, do occasional content site work and a variety of other projects. Some are lucrative, a couple aren’t high payers but they’re work I enjoy doing. Having a variety of opportunities to choose from keeps me busy, paid and makes the work more interesting.

Lots of people try and get one over: There’s a dark side of freelance writing. Some unsavory clients try to scam writers or get something for nothing. Sometimes writers put forth less than their best effort. People from both sides of the fence can be less than honest. Both clients and freelance writers are always encouraged to research who they work with and proceed with caution. If something sounds to good to be true….yes, you guessed it.

Some clients can be difficult: Some clients micromanage or change their minds every five minutes. Some are demanding or want to call their writers all hours of the day or night. We can’t always drop our clients, not if the pay is good and we don’t have a back up plan. Every writer has to deal with a difficult client from time to time — goodness knows I”ve had more than my fair share. Consider it a lesson in patience and customer service.

Sometimes it’s not the client who is the difficult one: One thing I’ve observed is that clients aren’t always the problem. Some freelance writers can be just as difficult if not more so. They don’t feel the client appreciates their artistry or doesn’t agree with the clients vision. It can make for a stressful situation.

The customer is always right: The person signing the check is the one who has final say so. As a writer I may not agree with my client or approve of a direction he takes, but it’s his call. As a consultant I can suggest options and discuss the best scenarios for his vision, but it’s his money and his decision.

Rejection is normal: Happens to the best of us. I’d be lying if I said rejection doesn’t hurt. It does. However, after I take a “woe is me” minute (and I mean minute) I get back up and try again.

Writers are very passionate in their beliefs: Sometimes writers aren’t so respectful in their disagreement. I write that off to being passionate about what they do. Writers who feel their way is the best way will do or say anything possible to convince you of this with little regard for your feelings. Though there are some writers who don’t mind harsh words, I’m not a big fan of the tough love approach to teaching about writing.

Freelance writers have to step out of their comfort zones in order to truly succeed: As a shy person the hardest thing for me was to reach out to potential clients. However, the day I sucked it up and began cold calling my life changed. I landed an extremely lucrative client and this gave me the courage and confidence to continue to reach out. If I didn’t reach out to a newspaper, I wouldn’t have landed my column. The best jobs aren’t going to land in our laps. Sometimes, we have to reach out and grab them.

Freelance writing has changed a lot in ten years: The biggest difference to me is the explosion of opportunities. When I first began, Craigslist only featured advertisements in one city, now every town in America is filled with opportunities.Web, print, businesses and beyond. Technical writing, grant writing…and while these gigs have always been around, now they’re open to writers all over the country, if not the world. There are more opportunities available for writers of different levels.

Each different type of writing has a different set of rules: Writing for a magazine isn’t the same as writing for a newspaper and neither are the same as writing for the web. You wouldn’t write a real estate blurb the same way you’d request funding for grants and you wouldn’t use the same tone writing a church newsletter as you would a blog. There are so many different types of writing. When branching out to different opportunities it’s best to be aware of – and experienced in – the differences.

Freelance writing is a business: To be a successful freelance writer we have to run our business, well, like a business. That’s a little different than writing and taking some money in return. It means keeping careful track of where the money goes. It means realizing our expenses and carefully planning for them. It means figuring overhead, taxes and health care into our pay rates. It means approaching every thing with the business in mind.

...except when it’s a hobby: Some writers feel as if they hobbyists are mucking the waters by accepting jobs that are beneath their standards or pay rates. For example, bloggers who write for residuals or even nothing at all. I don’t feel, as some do, that the hobbyists are lowering the pay rates. To the contrary, I feel there’s enough room for everyone and I’m fortunate to be freelancing at a time where there are so many opportunities available to so many different types of writers.

Flexibility is cool and all, but stability keeps me focused: So, yeah, we’re supposed to be able to work any time we want, any where we want. After all, we’re the mighty and flexible freelancers. That approach may work for some, but not for me. I need to have set working hours. I find when I don’t, I’m not focused or I procrastinate more. If I’m constantly dropping what I’m doing to see to other people, I won’t get anything done. When I have business hours I respect my time more and so do other people.

I work better in day time clothes than jammies: I am one freelancer who can’t live the pajama lifestyle. I just don’t feel as if I’m in the working frame of mind when I work in pajamas. That isn’t to say I don’t dress in comfortable clothing, but in order to feel as if I’m working I have to look the part.

Starbucks is for more than coffee: Freelancing can be very lonely. As much as I like my business hours and can appreciate the quiet of working home alone, the truth is, sometimes I crave the company of real people. I take advantage of the free WiFi hotspots in my area such as the library, the park, Panera Bread and Starbucks.

The library is a freelance writer’s best friend: Maybe it’s because I’m the daughter of a librarian, but I love the library. I use it for research, to learn more about my favorite topics and gather ideas for articles and blog posts, to use the WiFi or to just read a good book. Libraries rock and they should be used as more than a cheap DVD rental place.

Research involves more than Google: Research isn’t Googling and rewriting an article. Researching also involves reading books, magazines, looking up records and interviewing sources.

Cold calling works: Once when I was having trouble finding work, I made a list of all the places in my area that might benefit from a freelance writer and began cold calling. I sort of made a script but I didn’t want to sound like a smarmy salesperson so I didn’t really follow it. Most of the people who I called said no, but many kept my details on file and a few called later. I did land a few clients from cold calling and they turned out to be some of my highest paying.

Everyone is a potential client: There’s a reason I build relationships on the social networks or carry business cards wherever I go. It’s the same reason I don’t curse on Twitter or post inappropriate things on my blogs. Everyone has the potential to be a client. Everyone. Make fun of me all you want, but my positivity is money in the bank.

Freelance writers need business cards: Offline networking is so very important for freelance writers (See #31: “Everyone is a potential client”). It’s better to have a business card to hand out than to jot down numbers on a piece of paper. It’s definitely better to have a business card than to give out nothing at all.

Telephones are better than email for communicating with clients: I’ll often ask clients if I can call them rather than communicate via email. The telephone allows us to elaborate or brainstorm better than email. The phone also better builds up trust. Good communication is the most important part of a successful business, you can’t effectively communicate only online.

You may be well -intentioned, but it’s not easy to work with kids at all: Sorry, but I’m just not as productive when there are kids underfoot. There’s always some little distraction. I don’t care what anyone says, it’s not the easiest thing in the world. Unless kids are napping or out it’s very difficult to run a full time business with them home.

Writer’s block is an excuse for procrastination: I don’t believe in writer’s block. Every time I said I was blocked it was really just an excuse to not do a certain task. Identifying the reason I didn’t want to work or creating an outline or list with bullet points usually helps to break up the project and get me back on track again.

Social media is not only important, it’s necessary: Besides that bit about everyone being a potential client, or that everyone has the potential to know someone who needs a freelance writer, there’s also the part about building relationships with other writers. They’re the ones who are able to recommend projects, outsource projects or collaborate on projects with you – and vice versa.

Passive income from writing projects can be more lucrative than freelancing for clients: Blogs, websites, books, ebooks, courses, work books, webinars, newsletters…these can all be lucrative passive income streams. Creating your own source of income means writers don’t have to rely so much on client work.

You can take a vacation without having to lose income: Not every freelance writer can afford to give up work to take time off for vacation, but we can still make it work. For example, when my family rented a vacation home one summer, I woke a few hours before everyone and worked while they were sleeping. I spent the rest of the day doing wonderful vacation stuff. Granted, we’d all like to take time off without having to work at all, but that’s not always possible. Technology allows us to take it with us – we just have to make sure we take time for ourselves as well.

Good customer service means repeat business: It’s essential for freelance writers to rock the customer service. That means good communication, meeting deadlines, following up to ensure a client’s happiness and saying “thank you for the opportunity.”

Freelance writers make the choices that work best for them…and no one else: I’m putting this in there twice because it bears repeating. There’s no right way to be a freelance writer. Each freelancers needs to find the best methods and jobs that work for him or her and not worry about what anyone else thinks.

What are your thoughts? Are there any lessons you’d like to share? Do you disagree with anything posted above? Discuss…

Every now and then it’s suggested I’m doing this wrong, that my approach to freelance writing isn’t traditional and that the tips shared here are incorrect. It’s even been hinted that perhaps I don’t look out for a writer’s best interests because I don’t follow the old-school rules of journalism or insist you follow the same path as all the other freelance writers. Those insinuations don’t bother me at all. I admit I don’t necessarily do things the right way – if there is a right way. I kind of like marching to my own drummer.

There’s a reason the rumors don’t upset me. It may seem like a big stinking pile of ego to say this, but I don’t mind the criticism because I’m successful. I don’t feel as if I’m going about this the wrong way because my bank account and my list of satisfied customers are convincing me otherwise.

So there it is. I found success as a freelance writer even if I didn’t necessarily follow a well-worn, traditional path.

Should it matter?

I don’t think so. To me, there’s something to be said about breaking the mold and finding your own way even if others might not approve. It doesn’t matter what others feel I should do if it doesn’t match my vision for achieving success. For me it means taking a less flexible approach to a freelancing schedule and using a cocktail of opportunities to maximize my earning potential. For someone else it may mean taking two hours out of each day to seek out and query $1 per word writing markets.

If it’s alright with you, I’d like to toss out a few suggestions for approaching your own freelance writing success. When I’m done, I’d love it if you can add some of your own methods into the mix as well.

Define your own freelance writing success

Figure out what you want early on. That doesn’t mean you can’t change your approach later or redefine your goals and visions. However, having an idea in your mind of what it means to be a success will give you a starting point. Success might be a monetary goal, seeing your name in a particular publication, or achieving a certain status. Define success first, and the rest will follow.

You know what you want, now how will you get it? If your goal is to write the great American novel, you know you have to start with an outline, research facts and figures, develop characters, write a certain amount of pages each day, and eventually create a kickass proposal and shop it around. Create your path to success by plotting obtainable goals and milestones.

Keep an open mind

In 2010 opportunities for freelance writers abound. One doesn’t only need to rely on magazines or newspapers. Depending on expertise and experience, the same writers who create web content can become copywriters, article writers for magazines, newsletters and newspapers, ebook and traditional authors, bloggers and more. Creating a cocktail of opportunities might prove to be more beneficial than sticking with one tried and true form of writing. You don’t have to accept any opportunities you’re not feeling, but looking around at what else is out there couldn’t hurt.

Create a schedule

I don’t know about you, but if it’s not in front of my face it doesn’t get done. After plotting out my goals I write them down. I put them on my calendar and work them into my daily, weekly or monthly agendas. Now I have no excuse for not achieving my goals.

Take action

It’s easy to talk about defining, scheduling and plotting but it’s all meaningless if I don’t take action. All the freelance bloggers can offer tips and advice until the earth stops moving, but we can’t force you to take the first – or any steps. So now it’s your turn. How will you take action?

That’s it – that’s my non-traditional approach to freelance writing success, now tell us about yours. What are your goals and what steps are you taking to achieve those goals?

I had a cable outage for much of yesterday. I don’t think I need to tell you how much that puts a damper on things. When you rely on your web connection for your livelihood you’re only as good as your WiFi. Fortunately for me I only had one deadline, for the Demand Studios blog, everything else can wait. It reminds me of how important it is to have a backup plan. That can mean tapping a trusted collaborator, or it can mean working at a remote location. I was able to contact my editor, thanks to my Droid, and let her know I would be a little late. What would you do if your cable went out.

I smell a blog post coming on…

Your Daily Lists

Lots of terrific stuff happening today. Hope you enjoy. As always, tell us what you like, what you don’t like or what you had for breakfast, that’s what we’re here for.

Would you like to know why I looked for freelance writing work for two years before actually applying for a gig? It’s because I doubted myself. I was very shy and to apply for something out of the blue took me out of my element. That’s also why I stayed with a couple of jobs I didn’t like for so long. I doubted my ability to land another job. In the real world and in the freelance world, I let negativity get the best of me.

I was afraid of rejection. I thought there were better writers applying. Finally, I saw a job for a humor columnist that was right up my alley. I applied and got the gig. The first freelance writing job I ever applied for, and I was accepted. I can’t tell you what that did for my confidence.

Not too many people I meet nowadays would consider me shy, because I’ve learned to overcome many of my insecurities in order to succeed outside the salaried workforce. Freelancing and working at home may look perfect for introverts, but I’m here to tell you it’s not for the meek. If there’s one thing I learned over the past decade, it’s that the right attitude makes such an big difference.

We’ve talked about confidence on many occasions in the past. Today’s let’s look at why positivity matters.

People Dig Good Vibes

Enthusiasm is contagious. Have you ever noticed how people with a certain effervescence attract others? It’s contagious. Confidence is a turn on. Think about who you would rather hang out with. The upbeat, positive person, the shy wallflower, or the ranty malcontent who always has a gripe. Clients feel this way too. They can sense confidence. A writer who knows she can do a job to the best of her ability is always more likely to land the gig over someone who exudes doubt. Potential clients can read body language and they can hear hesitation in your voice. Confidence even comes through in the written word via email – but when your positive it shines through.

If You Think You Can’t, You Won’t

To say you can’t do something won’t get you anywhere. “Can’ts” keep us from finding gigs or getting out of our home offices and meeting the people who pay the big bucks. “Can’ts” keep us from stepping outside our comfort zone and applying for more prestigious opportunities. Say you can…and then try. I won’t lie. You may receive rejection at first, but perserverance pays off. If you say you can’t, you won’t. Think positive. Say you can. See if it makes a difference.

There’s a Difference Between Confidence and Arrogance

Being confident is terrific, it means we have faith in our ability. Being arrogant and pushy is a whole other story. People who are positive display confidence because they absolutely know they can get the job done. Arrogant or pushy people aren’t confident, they use aggressive, almost bullying behavior to get their way. This may land them some great gigs, but it also keeps people away. By all means, go out and get what you want but be mindful of how you’re doing it. Think about how others see you. You’ll see there’s a difference.

POSITIVITY

My theme for 2010 is positivity. I wrote the word in big block letters and have it taped over my desk. Every time I doubt myself, every time I want to fire back at someone in anger, every time I make a quick judgment or say I can’t, I look up and see “POSITIVITY” staring me back in the face. It may sound simple, but having a mantra and creating a new positive goal is making a big difference in how I see myself, and how others see me.

Can’t isn’t part of my vocabulary. If I’m not sure of a situation, I analyze the reasons why and act.

Positivity does make a difference. Don’t believe me? Try it and see what happens. I’m confident you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

It’s time for a little light reading to help you close out 2009 and get you through the long holiday weekend.

We already cooked up a “Best of Freelance Writing Jobs for 2010” post, however, that was only the top 20 posts of the year. There’s so much more to us than 20 posts. Since I enjoy making lists, I thought it would be fun to close out the year with a massive list of lists.

We reached way back into the vault to bring you some of our older works as well as more recent helpful blog posts.